Whether he wins the rest of the Italian Open or not, Carlos Alcaraz has already earned a headstart in the Roland Garros as the Spanish star now earns the second seed berth in the coming tournament. It seems that the recent successes have been paying off for the world no. 2 and is likely to give him an edge in the coming weeks.

Alcaraz took down Jack Draper in straight sets to earn his semis berth in the Italian Open with ease. This victory now adds to his run in the ATP Live Rankings, where he now has a total of 8,240 points and can even leave Rome with no more than 8,085 points, locking him into the third seed. It has been an unprecedented run for Alcaraz, and he is getting a huge campaign on the run now more than ever.

For context, the second seed in the Roland Garros is a serious advantage. For starters, Alcaraz will not face world no. 1 Jannik Sinner in the French Open until they both reach the final in Paris. On the other hand, Alexander Zverev is expected to headline one of the two middle quarters and the fourth seed is still yet to be determined – but is expected to end up at the hands of either Taylor Fritz or Draper.

A Huge Advantage for Alcaraz

Alcaraz isn’t enjoying a season full of rainbows so far. He has struggled to win a lot of the tournaments where he was a favorite to clinch points. For starters, the Spanish star has only won in the ATP Rotterdam and the Monte-Carlo Masters so far. He did, however, reach the final of the Indian Wells and Barcelona Open before he had to withdraw from the Madrid Open.

"I think it's great being second seed in Roland Garros, knowing that I'm going to not see Jannik before the final, if I reach it. I think it's great," Alcaraz said. "It's something that I didn't think about, honestly."

Alcaraz played superbly in his showdown with Draper. The Englishman led 4-2 in the first set, only for the Spanish star to storm back and win both sets at 6-4. Draper constantly applied pressure on whatever weak spot he can find on Alcaraz, but could not convert in all three break points that would have given him an edge in the game.

Reigning French Open winner Alcaraz took advantage of the rest of the game and it was certainly on point as he did not look back. The Spanish star sealed the deal in just a breeze and was able to close out his slot in the semis.

Regaining His Form

Alcaraz’s impressive stretch could not have come at a better time than ever. This is a chance for the Spanish star to gain ground in closing out the clay court season. Beating Draper was a quality win for Alcaraz, and it only took him an hour and 38 minutes to wrap up the contest.

“I think the most important thing that I did today was not thinking about the shots at all,” said Alcaraz. “Not thinking about the fact that I was down, just trying to do the things that make me happy. On court I just tried to be aggressive, play good shots, drop shots, go to the net. That’s what I like to do on the court, and I think that made the difference today.

Alcaraz was glad that he played with a high rhythm in the game, and the Spaniard is seeking to keep that same pace heading into the later stages and bring it all the way to the French Open.